Methods of dispensing icing onto cakes, cookies or the like are well known. Traditionally, icing is placed into collapsible paper cones that may be squeezed to dispense the icing through the tip or nozzle at one end of the cone. An example of a collapsible cone is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,320,496 issued to Wechsler. The collapsible cones, however, may rupture or tear so as to leave the device inoperable.
As an alternative to the paper cones, icing may be dispensed using collapsible or squeezable bulb-shaped containers, such as the one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,802 issued to Wallays. The bulb-shaped containers may be reused; however, the containers must be cleaned after use.
Often, bakers avoid decorating their own deserts because of the trouble involved in making the decorating frosting in the small quantities and different colors desired. In addition, once the icing is made, it must be loaded into either the cone or the bulb-shaped container which may be a time-consuming and messy process.
In response to the above issues, pre-made icing that has been packaged in squeezable and disposable plastic tubes or pouches has become popular. The plastic tubes or pouches are permanently sealed on one end and feature a single opening on the other end which is sealed with a cap or the like prior to use.
The nozzles or tips of prior art devices feature a variety of arrangements for closing and dispensing the icing or other foodstuffs. For example, the device illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,570 issued to Prell has a threaded neck surrounding its opening. A threaded cap engages the neck and seals the container when it is not in use. The container is prepared for use by removing the cap and replacing it with a threaded nozzle featuring an aperture having a desired shape or design. Once the cap is replaced with the nozzle, the icing may be dispensed.
A disadvantage of such an arrangement, however, is that the user only has a single option with regard to the aperture size or shape through which the icing is dispensed. For example, the user may desire to ice a portion of the desert with a base layer or sheet of icing and then form a pattern with a thin line of icing on top of the base layer. In addition, the nozzle is a separate piece that must be packaged with the capped container. This increases packaging cost and the user may lose the nozzle when storing the product. Unless the container is resealed, the cap is also a useless or wasted component once the container is opened. In other words, it is merely removed and tossed away.
Another arrangement for closing and dispensing the icing is illustrated with the bulb shaped container of the Wallays '802 patent. More specifically, the Wallays '802 patent shows a nozzle that screws into threads surrounding the container opening. The discharge end of the nozzle features an opening having a specific size and shape or pattern. The device also includes a cone-shaped cap for friction engagement over the nozzle. Once again, however, such an arrangement only provides the user with a single option in terms of an opening size and shape through which to dispense the icing. In addition, such an arrangement is not suitable for packaging pre-made icing as the cap could become dislodged from the nozzle. This would compromise the package sealing.
The concept of disposing other flowable food items from a container is also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,238 issued to Shannon shows a packaged decorator cheese product that includes a squeezable pouch from which the cheese is dispensed through a tip. The Shannon '238 patent shows another arrangement for closing and dispensing the icing wherein a nozzle is secured to the threaded neck surrounding the opening of a squeezable pouch by a threaded collar. The neck initially has a cap positioned thereon that is removed when dispensing is to take place. The nozzle, having a decorative opening, is positioned over the non-threaded portion of the neck. The collar features an opening through which the distal portion of the cone-shaped nozzle may pass. The collar is placed over the nozzle so that its threads engage those of the neck. The collar is then rotated so that the nozzle is secured in place. This arrangement, however, also only provides a single decorative opening and multiple pieces are required to install the nozzle. The cap also becomes a useless piece that is discarded after the package is opened.
Accordingly, the technical advantage of the present invention is to provide a dispensing and decorating device that provides increased flexibility and utility to an end user by allowing the end user to dispense a viscous material in varying thickness.